Going the Distance

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A couple (Drew Barrymore & Justin Long) meet in New York, when she has only 6 weeks left before she moves back to San Francisco, but they fall in love anyway, so they decide to try a long distance relationship.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate, Ron Livingston, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Jim Gaffigan, Kelli Garner, June Diane Raphael, Rob Riggle, Sarah Burns, Natalie Morales, Matt Servitto, Leighton Meester, Kristen Schaal

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! As far as romantic-comedies go, this one actually has comedy in it.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Much more than the preview leads you to believe. But be warned, it gets pretty raunchy at times. Even when it's girls talking... and I know that many of you are hyper-sensitive to hearing girls talk about some of the things that girls actually talk about.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It's sad that it's so much easier to fall in love with someone when you know they're leaving and you don't have any pressure to get into a serious relationship. But it's also stupid because you actually get your heart broken twice as hard that way.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most successful film starring a couple who is actually dating, since the 1950s (I'm referring back to Lucy and Desi, of course.) Although it may be because they broke up before filming commenced... or maybe they're still together. No one seems to know the latest on this, but it's certainly better PR if they at least pretend to be together until the film passes $100 million at the box office, because you feel like you're getting a glimpse into their real life as a couple.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: As charming and funny as Justin Long is as the MAC guy, he's just not a leading man. Drew Barrymore is even more cute and disarming than usual, despite the fact that she has the laugh of a 60-year-old alcoholic. And Charlie Day is the new Zach Galifianakis.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Let's put this in the "You go, girl!" category. Nanette Burnstein, who has multiple awards for documentary directing, but has never directed a fictional script before, could have fooled me.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Apparently Geoff LaTulippe's original script made the "Black List," which is Hollywood's unofficial list of the best script each year that didn't sell. Knowing this, you can imagine my surprise when I found out in the Q & A, that the first thing the director did was to hire two different writers to rewrite the script completely, and then have the actors improvise most of their dialogue. In turn, I can imagine your surprise at the fact that I'm still surprised that the script got rewritten, even though I should get by now that this is pretty much true of every single movie that has ever gotten made in Hollywood. Then again, while I don't know what the Black List script was like, I did like this version.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/going%20the%20distance/trailers

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Get Him to the Greek

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An aspiring music exec (Jonah Hill) has to get a famous rock star (Russell Brand) from London to Los Angeles in three days, without getting side tracked by drugs, sex, or the rock star's insane membrane.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Elizabeth Moss, Rose Byrne, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Colm Meaney, Aziz Anzari, Lars Ulrich, Lino Facioli, Nick Kroll, Dinah Stabb, T.J. Miller, Carla Gallo

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If you liked The Hangover, you'll like this drug induced extended party sequence a little less than that one.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Clearly I see too many movies and I'm jaded because everyone else laughed a lot more than I did. Then again, I hardly laughed in The Hangover either. Shhhh. Don't tell.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: You won't, but according to the dialogue, Lars Ulrich, drummer for Metallica, can cry for 3 hours straight. On a more observational note, I thought it was clever that they had Russell Brand fall in a pool right before the scene where he's supposedly crying, because once his face is covered in water, it's harder to tell, that as an actor, he can't actually cry. I still noticed.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best product Placement for a New Drug. I wonder how much money the drug dealer's union kicked in for that Jeffery sponsorship?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: My friend Meredith liked Russell Brand more as a bit part in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but I thought the character was still funny (even though I didn't laugh), and it was nice to see a deeper side to the comic relief character. Jonah Hill, for once not standing next to Michael Cera, gets his chance to play the put-upon innocent whom stuff just happens to, and he's unexpectedly good at it. But he really needs to lose some weight before I'll buy that he can get a girlfriend.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Nick Stoller, who never directed anything before Forgetting Sarah Marshall, is clearly getting more comfortable behind the camera, as he can be seen here experimenting more, especially when it comes to creating that drugged out POV.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: A lot of jokes try to make up for a total lack of substance. Despite the supposed urgency of getting him to the Greek, we never feel that the stakes are very high, because in a worst case scenario, Jonah Hill will lose his job, and at a certain point, we're not so sure that he cares about that anymore.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/get-him-to-the-greek/38930/trailers

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The Rocker

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Just as his rock band makes it big, Robert "Fish" Fishman (Rainn Wilson), gets kicked out of the group. Now, 20 years later, he gets a second chance at rock super-stardom in his nerdy nephew's (Josh Gad) high school rock band.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate, Emma Stone, Josh Gad, Teddy Geiger, Jeff Garlin, Jane Lynch, Jason Sudeikis, Will Arnett, Bradley Cooper, Fred Armisen, Howard Hessman, Jane Krakowski

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. I'm going to start right out by taking issue with the marketing campaign, which advertises that it's "The Sleeper Hit of the Summer!" As we all know, the definition of a "sleeper hit" is a movie that did well (past tense), despite the fact that it had no up front hype, and nobody expected it to do any business. So to advertise something as a "Sleeper" when it hasn't even been released yet is egregious! Now, I know that marketing people like to lie to us, but rarely have I felt so violated by it. What do they think we're idiots? Why do I ask such questions-- of course they do!... And while I admit that this insulting marketing campaign is not the fault of the film or the filmmakers, I fear that it could be to their detriment, because while there is nothing inherently wrong with this sweet and somewhat innocuous movie, it's the kind of experience that will be better enjoyed if you temper your expectations up front.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It's cute, but coming out in a summer loaded up with incredibly hilarious theatrical comedies, it's hard not to compare it as the lesser of the funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you've always wanted to be a leading man, but were concerned that your face wasn't pretty enough, Rainn Wilson's looks will have you crying tears of joy and hope, as he proves that you don't have to be pretty to play the ingenue, anymore!

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: In my book, Jason Sudeikis gets the award for the most underrated actor on Saturday Night Live. As a good looking guy who's also funny, and with the chops to play either a leading man or a character actor, I'm predicting right here and now that if anyone in Hollywood has half a brain, he's going to blow up-- not only in broad comedies, but also as a romantic-comedy star. It's too bad this prediction relies on someone in Hollywood having half a brain... Oh, well, Jason, you can't win 'em all!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Rainn Wilson is a little more special as Dwight Schrute. Although if by "special" I mean "retarded", then this guy wins hands down. Meanwhile, Josh Gad has some interesting nervous inflections that have him coming off like a more genuine version of Jonah Hill. Watch out, Jonah, there's a new fat kid in town!

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Peter Cattaneo directed The Full Monty, so he'll always have a pass in my book-- which is lucky for him, cuz that's exactly what his work here is: passable.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: They hit all the beats, but like in any pop song, that makes for a somewhat predictable number.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Pete Best, original cast member of the Beatles, is in the end credits as "himself," but I can't for the life of me remember seeing him in the film. If you see him in it, please clue me in by explaining it in the comments below.

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